I suspect one underlying premise of the program is that a phone can be a necessity at times of a life-threatening emergency. One wouldn't want grandma on her fixed income being unable to call 911, e.g., for lack of funds. But we're talking about the world of 20 or more years ago - with mission creep, the rise of cell phones, and the moocher mentality, the vast majority of these phones sure as hell aren't in the hands of the impoverished elderly or people in areas that require a subsidy to deliver landline service! Gack.

rockvillem: “I suspect one underlying premise of the program is that a phone can be a necessity at times of a life-threatening emergency.”

If so, then every citizen should get a “free” cell phone. In fact, let’s mandate that everyone carry a GPS transmitter and computerized health monitor that will automatically notify health authorities in case of medical emergencies. Why? Because even citizens who can afford communications equipment, like a cell phone, may be too incapacitated to use it in a medical emergency.

(There are plenty of premises for government to give away “free” stuff, and government is always bureaucratic, rife with fraud, and inefficient — always!)